1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a biodegradable polymer device for surgical implantation in patients with spinal cord injury.
2. Description of the Related Art
Despite significant advances in our understanding of neurophysiology and spinal cord injury, a patient who sustains a complete spinal cord injury has only a small hope of recovery. Loss of neurologic function following complete spinal cord injury remains a devastating condition. Research has not yet yielded an effective way to stimulate the neuronal axons to regrow to replace the injured axonal structures. Current interventions offer little hope for recovery of neurologic function in patients following complete spinal cord injury, in either the acute or chronic setting.
Devices for promoting nerve regeneration have been proposed. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,214,021 and 5,925,053. Progress has been made in elucidating mechanisms that facilitate or inhibit axon regeneration in the spinal cord. Despite these advances, functional recovery following spinal cord injury in experimental models has been insufficient to bring reconstructive therapy to clinical trial. Combinations of several therapeutic strategies may be important.
Thus, there remains a need for devices and methods that promote axon regeneration in the spinal cord. In particular, there is a need for an implant for bridging a gap in a severed spinal cord or nerve and for promoting nerve regeneration.